The city of Sacramento is testing out a bathroom facility for the homeless that has an attendant to keep things tidy. KCRA 3’s Kevin Oliver shows how the facility is doing after a month.

The city of Sacramento is testing out a bathroom facility for the homeless that has an attendant to keep things tidy. KCRA 3’s Kevin Oliver shows how the facility is doing after a month.

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Updated: 7:04 PM PDT Jul 20, 2016

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WEBVTT MORE THAN 80 TODAY, ON ONE DAY MORE THAN 143. SHAWN SCOTT NOW PLANS HIS RESTROOM BREAKS SO HE CAN USE SACRAMENTO'S PIT STOP WHEN HE'S IN THE AREA OF 16TH STREET AND NORTH A STREET. >> I WOULD RATHER WALK ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE TO USE THE BATHROOM RATHER THAN TO TAKE A CHANCE AND WALK TO THE CASINO AND THEY WON'T LET YOU IN, THEN I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GO OUTSIDE. I HATE TO DO THA I DO THIS EVERY DAY ALL THAT LONG. KEVIN: HE'S ONE OF DOZENS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO STOP BY SACRAMENTO'S PIT STOP TO USE THE PORTABLE ATTENDED RESTROOM. ONE MONTH INTO THE PROGRAM, THE STREET IS SPOTLESS. THE BATHROOMS ARE AS CLEAN AS WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTED. THE NEEDLE DISPOSAL BOX IS BEING USED, AND THE ATMOSPHERE ON THE STREET HAS CHANGED. SCOTT SAID THE BLOCK USED TO BE A DUMP. >> A BUNCH OF TRASH, CLOTHES. SUFFOLK THAT. -- STUFF LIKE THAT. PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T CARE. KEVIN: THE ATTENDANTS KEEP CONSTANT TABS ON HOW LONG PEOPLE ARE INSIDE AND DOCUMENT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THE FACILITY. ACCORDING TO DATA PROVIDED BY THE CITY, IN THE FIRST THREE WEEKS, AN AVERAGE 70 PEOPLE USED THE FACILITY EVERY DAY. THE SIX-MONTH PROGRAM WAS BUDGETED $100,000. IF THE DAILY VISIT NUMBERS STAY THE SAME FOR THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS IT WILL BREAK DOWN TO $7.93 PER BATHROOM VISIT. >> YOU CAN LOOK AT THE HARD COST AND THAT SOUNDS EXPENSIVE, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO COMPARE AGAINST WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING ON MITIGATION OF IMPACTS. LOOK AT HOW MUCH THEY SPEND ON CLEAN AND SAFE. HOW MUCH OF THE ACTUALLY SPEND STEAM CLEANING THESE ALLEYS AND PICKING UP REFUSE? THERE IS A REAL SIGNIFICANT COST THAN THAT. KEVIN: HARRIS POINTS OUT THE COSTS WILL GO DOWN AS MORE HOMELESS BECOME AWARE OF THE RESTROOMS AND AS THEY ADJUST HOURS TO MEET GREATER NEEDS. HE SAYS THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY WILL CREATE THE BEST OUTCOME FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE. >> MY HOPE IS TO SHOW THEM WITH

Is the ‘pit stop’ bathroom for homeless really working?

The city of Sacramento is testing out a bathroom facility for the homeless that has an attendant to keep things tidy. KCRA 3’s Kevin Oliver shows how the facility is doing after a month.